Our goal is to honor the city’s heritage while occupying an exciting new niche in the local hospitality scene. Every detail — from the thoughtful, purposeful music selection in the lobby to the early evening social hour and always-on programming — is an expression of the modern Southern hospitality nature of the city and its locals. – Jesseca Malecki, general manager of Kimpton Hotel Fontenot
On May 11, San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants opened Kimpton Hotel Fontenot at the former address of the Staybridge Suites on 501 Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans’ Central Business District. The 202-room boutique hotel marks the brand’s return to the city after a 16-year absence.
Named in honor of Creole fiddle player Canray Fontenot, the new Kimpton Hotel Fontenot was designed by New York-based consulting firm MarkZeff. It features several “chef-led” food and beverage concepts, including a corner cafe and restaurant and bar. The hotel’s dining is led by Executive Chef Chris Lusk and Restaurant and Bar General Manager Jessica Retif and include Gospel Coffee and Boozy Treats and a “fun and fanciful cocktail bar” called The Peacock Room.
The hotel is donating $5 from every booking to The Roots of Music, a nonprofit organization that empowers young New Orleanians through music education, academic support and mentorship.
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We spend so much of our lives in airports as pro skaters…The fact that Red Bull was able to make it happen and turn an old airport into a park is like something out of a video game.
Skater Jake Wooten, speaking about the “Red Bull Terminal Takeover” that transformed the former MSY airport terminal into three custom-built parks for a special event that welcomed approximately two dozen skateboarders May 1-2.
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